Tape cartridge locking and ejector mechanism



Dec. 23, 19-69 A. LOESCHNER ETAL 3,485,500

TAPE CARTRIDGE LOCKING AND EJECTOR MECHANISM Filed March 14, 1967 N v INVENTORS ANTHONY LOESCHNER ROBERT A.WOL.F

BY q uza Mb. M

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 23, 1969 3,485,500 TAPE CARTRIDGE LOCKING AND EJECTOR MECHANISM Anthony Loeschner, Riverside, and Robert A. Wolf, Oak Lawn, Ill., assignors to Motorola, Inc., Franklin Park, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 623,032 Int. Cl. Gllb 25/06 US. Cl. 274-11 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This device includes a linkage that is biased to first and second stable positions by an overcenter spring. An actuating arm connected to the linkage is responsive to movement of the cartridge in the player to actuate the overcenter spring to bias the linkage from the first to the second stable position. Movement of the linkage into the second position also engages a roller with the cartridge and moves it into a locked position within the player. A solenoid is energized to actuate the overcenter spring to bias the linkage back to the first position for ejecting the cartridge.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS An appplication Ser. No. 520,169, filed Ian. 12, 1966, and assigned to the assignee of this application contains a detailed description of a tape player similar to one discussed in connection with this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains generally to a cartridge locking and ejector mechanism and more particularly to such a mechanism for a cartridge-type tape player.

It is generally desirable in tape players where cartridges are inserted into the sound reproducing apparatus to include means for firmly positioning the cartridge against the apparatus for driving the tape through the cartridge and for ejecting the cartridge from the player after it has been played. In the past, most mechanisms for accomplishing this have been rather complicated mechanical devices which are generally manually operated.

SUMMARY It is an object of this invention to provide an improved cartridge locking and ejector mechanism that utilizes relatively few parts and is easily assembled.

It is another object of this invention to provide a tape cartridge ejector mechanism that can be automatically operated.

In practicing one embodiment of this invention, a linkage is pivotally mounted to the tape player and has an actuating arm integral therewith that extends into the chamber receiving the cartridge. The linkage is connected to one end of an overcenter spring which is used to bias it between first and second stable positions. The other end of the overcenter spring is either fixed to the player for manual operation or is coupled to the armature of the solenoid for automatic operation. When a cartridge is inserted into the player, it strikes the actuating arm which moves the linkage causing the overcenter spring to be operated. Operation of this overcenter spring biases the linkage from the first stable position to the second stable position. A roller connected to the linkage engages a groove in the cartridge and moves the cartridge with the linkage to position the same so that the tape is firmly pressed against the player capstan shaft. When the cartridge has been played a solenoid is energized to once again actuate the overcenter spring to bias the linkage from the second stable position to the first stable position thereby moving the roller and actuating arm, resulting in the cartridge being ejected from the player.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view showing the tape player apparatus in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 2 showing a tape cartridge in position in the device;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a portion of the mechanism shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and illustrates a second embodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic wiring diagram illustrating automatic operation of the device in accordance with this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a tape player apparatus 10 that is adapted to receive and play tape cartridges such as 12 (FIG. 3) having a 'multi-track tape therein which is positioned to be engaged by the capstan shaft 14 to drive the tape through the cartridge 12. An electric motor 16 drives a pulley 18 which is connected through a belt 20* the capstan flywheel 22. A miniature switch 24 is responsive to the placing of cartridge 12 in the cartridge receiving chamber 25 of the tape player to energize the motor 16. A magnetic tape reproducing head 28 is positioned by cam follower 30 riding on a cam 32, which has a plurality of ca-m surfaces such as 34. When a set of tracks of the tape is completed, a conductive strip on the tape bridges the contacts 36 to energize a solenoid 38 which operates a linkage 40 toposition the cam 32 so that a difierent cam surface engages the cam follower 30. This repositions the magnetic tape head 28 to play a different set of tracks on the tape. A more detailed description of the operation of a tape player similar to tape player 10 may be found in application Ser. No. 520,169, filed Jan. 12, 1966.

Attached to the top plate 42 of the tape player 10 is a tape cartridge locking and ejector mechanism 45. The mechanism comprises a linkage including a first arm or bell crank 47 which is pivotally mounted to the top plate 42 by rivet 49. Extending from arm 47 is actuating memher or projection 51. The projection 51 extends down into the cartridge receiving chamber 25 as shown in FIG. 1. The linkage includes a second ar-m member 53 which is pivotally mounted to the top plate 42 by rivet 55. An overcenter spring 57 has one end connected by spring post 59 to the arm 53. The other end is connected to spring post 61 which is mounted to link 63. Link 63 in turn is pivotally mounted at 65 to the top plate 42.

A solenoid 68 is mounted to the player 10 and has an armature arm 70 thereof coupled to link 63. The rivet 72 is fixed to the plate 42 and moves in slot 74 of the armature 70 to guide the armature in a straight fore and aft path during movement thereof. A slot 75 is located in the armature 70 and receives rivet 77 which is fixed to the link 63. With this arrangement, fore and aft movement of armature 70 is translated by the rivet 77 and slot 75 into rotational movement.

The overcenter spring 57 is used to bias the linkage consisting of arm 53 and arm 47 into first and second stable positions. The first stable position is shown in FIG. 2. When the linkage is rotated, however, as shown in FIG. 3, motion of the arm '53 causes the spring post 59 to move to a point past the center of spring 57 such that the spring will snap to the position shown in FIG. 3 thereby biasing the arms 53 and 47 of the linkage to the second stable position.

Operation of the locking and ejector mechanism 45 can be explained in greater detail by referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 in conjunction with FIG. 5. The ejection mechanism is initially in the first stable position as shown in FIG. 2. When the tape cartridge is inserted into the chamber 25, it moves in a direction towards the rear of the player until the leading edge 80 of the cartridge 12 strikes the actuating member 51. Continued movement of the cartridge 12 in engagement with actuating member 51 causes arm 47 to pivot about rivet 49. As arm 47 pivots, it moves with its arm 53 about pivot 55. As arm 53 pivots about 55, the end of the overcenter spring on post '59 reaches a position where the spring tension on each arm of the spring 57 will become unbalanced and it will snap to a position as shown in FIG. 3. In addition, as the arm 53 pivots and reaches the point where spring 57 will snap biasing the linkage to second position, the roller 82, which is rotatably mounted to the arm 53, engages a V groove or slot 85 (FIG. 3) in cartridge 12. Now when the arm 53 is snapped by the spring 57 to the position shown in FIG. 3, the roller 82 will be engaged with the slot 85 and move the cartridge with it. With the linkage biased to the second stable position, the roller 82 urges the cartridge 12 all the way forward in the chamber 25 and holds it in this position. In this position, the pinch roller 90 (FIG. 3) which is mounted in the cartridge 12 will press against the capstan shaft 14 to capture the tape between the roller and the shaft. Therefore, as the cap stan shaft turns, it rotates the pinch roller to drive the magnetic tape therebetween past the magnetic head 28 to reproduce the sound.

When the cartridge 12 is inserted into the chamber 25, in addition to actuating the cartridge locking mechanism, it strikes switch 24 (shown schematically in FIG. to energize the tape player itself. This couples B -lpotential to one side of the coil of solenoid 68. Switches 92 and 94 (FIG. 5) are normally closed switches and repre sent the automobile ignition switch and tape cartridge ejector switch respectively. With these switches in their normally closed position, B -jpotential is applied to the base 95 of PNP transistor 96 biasing that transistor off. However, should the operator of the tape player desire to eject the cartridge, he merely has to push an ejector button (not shown) which opens switch 94 so that resistor 98 biases the base 95 of transistor 96 negative to drive that transistor into conduction. This applies a pulse to the gate 100 of silicon controlled rectifier 102 to gate that rectifier into conduction. When rectifier 102 conducts, current is coupled from B+ through switch 24, the armature 68 and SCR 102 to ground. It should be noted, also, that this solenoid can be energized by turning oif the ignition which opens switch 92.

Energizing solenoid 68 pulls armature 70 into the solenoid as shown in FIG. 2. This straightline movement of the armature 70 is translated by the link '63 as previously explained into rotational movement pulling post 61, to which one end of the overcenter spring 57 is connected, in the counter clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3. This causes the overcenter spring to be actuated to bias the arm '53 to the first stable position as shown in FIG. 2. Motion of arm '53 to the first stable position removes the roller 82 from the V groove 85 in the cartridge and also causes arm 47 to snap into the position shown in FIG. 2. This moves the projection or actuating arm 51 against the tape cartridge 12 to the position shown in FIG. 2 to eject the cartridge from the chamber 25 so that it may be easily grasped and removed by the operator.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment which provides for manual operation of the locking and ejecting mechanism. In this embodiment the spring posts 61a is fixed to the plate 42a of the tape player instead of being connected to the arm 63. The other end of the spring 57a is connected to post 59a which is mounted to the arm 53a in the same manner as is post 59.

In manual operation, when the cartridge 12 is inserted into the chamber it again strikes the actuating arm 51. This causes the arm 47 to pivot about rivet 49 to move arm 53 about rivet 55 inserting the roller 82 in V groove and at the same time causing overcenter spring 57a to actuate. The spring then snaps to the position shown in dotted line in FIG. 4 with one end pivoting about rivet 61a. This action of the spring 57a biases the linkage into the second stable position from the first stable position and presses the tape firmly between the pinch roller and capstan shaft 14.

When the operator desires to remove the cartridge, he grasps it in his fingers and draws it outwardly from chamber 25. This rearward movement of the cartridge 12 is translated through the V groove 85 to roller 82. Movement of roller 82 causes the arm 53 to pivot about pivot 55 thereby actuating the overcenter spring 57a causing the spring to snap back to its original position as shown in FIG. 4 thereby biasing the linkage consisting of arms 53 and 47 back to their first stable position. This snapping action of the overcenter spring 57a causes the projection or actuating arm 51 to propel the cartridge rearwardly and eject it from the player 10.

What has been described, therefore, is an improved locking and ejector mechanism for a cartridge-type tape player which uses a minimum number of parts but which is capable of automatic or manual operation if desired.

We claim:

1. Apparatus using an exchangeable cartridge, including in combination, linkage means, overcenter spring means coupled to said linkage means for biasing the same to first and second stable positions, actuator means coupled to said linkage means and being responsive to a cartridge moving in the apparatus to move said linkage means from said first stable position to actuate said overcenter spring means to bias said linkage means to said seconds table position, ejector means coupled to said overcenter spring means for actuating the same to bias said link age means from said second stable position to said first stable position, and means coupled to said linkage means for engaging the cartridge to move the same with said linkage means being moved between said first and second stable positions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said overcenter spring means includes an overcenter spring having one end coupled to said linkage means and the other end being held in a fixed position.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said overcenter spring means includes an overcenter spring having first and second ends, and said ejector means includes an electric solenoid having an armature, said overcenter spring having said first end coupled to said linking means and said second end coupled to said solenoid armature, whereby operation of said solenoid actuates and overcenter spring to bias said linkage means to said first position thereby ejecting the cartridge.

4. Electronic apparatus including a cartridge-type tape player adapted to receive and play tape cartridges having a tape therein which is positioned to be engaged by the apparatus to drive the tape therethrough, the combination including, linkage means, an overcenter spring coupled to said linkage means for biasing the same to first and second stable conditions, actuating means coupled to said linkage means and being responsive to a cartridge being inserted in the apparatus for moving said linkage means from said first stable position thereby actuating said overcenter spring to bias said linkage means to the second stable position, and means coupled to said linkage means for engaging the cartridge to move the same with said linkage means being moved between said first and second stable positions.

5. Electronic apparatus of claim 4 further including ejector means, said ejector means including an electric solenoid coupled to said overcenter spring, said solenoid being operated with said linkage means being positioned in the second stable position to actuate said overcenter spring to bias said linkage means to said first stable position thereby ejecting the cartridge.

Q. The electronic apparatus of claim 4 in which the tape cartridge has a groove on one side thereof and wherein said means coupled to said linkage means for engaging the cartridge includes a roller mounted to said linkage, said roller engaging the groove in the cartridge with said overcenter spring biasing said linkage from said first to said second position thereby moving the cartridge into position and locking the same to be engaged by the apparatus to drive the tape.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 4 wherein said linkage means includes first and second pivotally mounted arms, said actuating means being mounted to said first arm, a roller mounted to said second arm, said ejector means including an electric solenoid having an armature, and coupling means coupling said armature to said overcenter spring, said actuating means being responsive to the insertion of the cartridge in the tape player to pivot said first arm, said second arm being pivoted by said first arm to actuate said overcenter spring and to engage said roller with the tape cartridge, said overcenter spring acting to bias said linkage to the second position with said roller moving the cartridge into position and locking the same within the player, and said solenoid being energized to actuate said overcenter spring through said coupling means to bias said linkage means from the second position to the first position thereby moving said roller and said actuating means to eject the cartridge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,911,215 11/1959 Cousino.

2,864,611 12/1958 Gray.

2,778,880 l/1957 Cash. 1

3,083,269 3/1963 Gaubert 179-1002 3,009,024 11/1961 Cash 179-1002 LEONARD FORMAN, Primary Examiner R. A. FIELDS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

